STRAPPING YOUNG LAD Guitarist Comments On GENE HOGLAN's Return To TENET Project

STRAPPING YOUNG LAD guitarist Jed Simon has issued the following update on his TENET project:

"You all must know already that Gene the Machine [Gene Hoglan, STRAPPING YOUNG, ex-DARK ANGEL, DEATH, TESTAMENT] is back behind the drum kit for TENET! I saw that Gene made mention of it in his last blog, I figured it would be a good idea to confirm it, and expand on it a bit for ya.

"Gene was originally in the band, and after Ozzfest last year I thought that maybe I should try and move on without any SYL influence and asked Adrian [Erlandsson, ex-CRADLE OF FILTH drummer] if he would play drums instead. Gene, of course, was very gracious about it...hell...when ISN'T he gracious, ya know?

"Well, we got through the recording process and to put it bluntly, Adrian was just not happy with his performance...the distance, the logistics, and his time schedules just kept clashing...I needed his drums done in February, and because of his hectic schedule, didn't get them until April. As a result of that, the album had to be delayed a couple of times. I was used to the delays...it's been like that from day one, haha... but everything just started feeling 'rushed' around then. Adrian was so stressed out too, because he felt he wasn't giving it the attention he thought it deserved. And to be honest, so were we. His stuff was excellent...but in the end, we all agreed that it just wasn't right for the album. The 'feeling' just wasn't there. And so Adrian, being a gentleman, stepped aside.

"Thank you, Adrian, for all the hard work my friend...I appreciate it all. I assure you that a certain member of the Mustelidae family will still go thankless!!!

"And then I picked up the phone and called Gene.

"Being a brother, he understood what was happening, and why it happened. DARK ANGEL said 'Time Does Not Heal'...but for me in this case it did. And it didn't take very long at all to heal, as it were.

"I said previously that I miss my SYL bros, so to have Gene back is not something I can readily explain. Ten-plus years in a band with him has not only made me a much better guitarist, it's spoiled me in that I expect an awful lot from the other drummers I play with...much to their dismay, I think, sometimes. Haha! That's not to belittle anyone else, far fuckin from it...I'm honored that I even have the opportunity to jam with all these cool cats, but Gene is an entity unto himself. There is simply no other. I don't think I can blow any more smoke up his butt than that, haha...but it's all true, and you fucking know it. So welcome back, my brother...and thanks.

"Gene is right now tracking the new drums for TENET at The Armoury in Vancouver. He's two days in and is kicking the shit out his drums and laying it down hard! Fuck yeah! The Armoury is a beautiful studio, I'm very happy they were able to accomodate us. SYL has a bit of a history recording there, and the people and the facility are nothing short of first-class...

"Update!! GENE IS DONE!!! TWO FUCKING DAYS!!!! Does that say it all or what?!!! While I sat here writing this blog, he put the fucking hammer down and nailed that shit. TWO FUCKIN' DAYS!!! I'm shocked, but not surprised...holy goddamn, man...my head is spinning. That's what I meant by there being 'no other.' Well, there you have it...I'm done writing for today."

Simon recently uploaded three demo tracks from his TENET project at the official TENET MySpace page. Check out the songs "Indulge Me", "Unnameable" and "Crown of Thorns" at this location.

TENET's debut album, "Sovereign", is tentatively due later in the year via Century Media Records.

STRAPPING YOUNG LAD's latest CD, "The New Black" was released in July 2006 via Century Media.